Bicycle



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. S. M. FAY.

' BIOYGLE.

(No Model.)

No. 424,870. Patented Apr. 1,1890.

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Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. M. FAY.

(No Model.)

BICYCLE.

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N. PETERS. Fholo-wiwgraphor. wmin m. u. c.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

STI'LLMAN M. FAY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOHENRY B. SPROUL, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,870, dated April 1,1890. Application filed December 14, 1889. Serial No. 383,761. I (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STILLMAN M. FAY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain-new and usefulImprovements in Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to furnish a velocipede of the bicycletype that will permit the front wheel to yield or swing backward when itmeets an obstruction in the way, so that said wheel will readily riseand ride over said obstruction.

My invention also has for its object to provide a seat-supporting framewhich shall atford a vertically-unyielding support for the rider, or, inother words, will not allow any variation in the distance between theriders seat and the crank-pedal shaft, so that the riders feet shallalways have a firm support without yielding movement between the seatand pedals.

For the attainment of the above-named objects my invention consists incertain improve ments, all as hereinafter particularly de' scribed, andset forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 illustrates my improvements as applied to a bicycle generallyknown as a Safety bicycle. Fig. 2

illustrates a detail enlarged and in longitude nal section of a part ofthe construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. '3 illustrates'the positions thefront wheel and link will assume while the former is riding over anobstruction, the dotted lines showing the position of the parts beforethe wheel has begun to rise. 1 Fig. 4 illustrates a modification indetail.

Similar letters represent like parts in all the figures.

A is the front wheel of the bicycle, and B is the rear wheel of thesame.

0 is the upright fork or support for the front wheel, and D is thesleeve in which said fork is adapted to turn, and to which sleeve areattached the connections which support the rear wheel.

E is the upright fork or support for the back wheel.

F is the hanger, which extends downward from the upright E and in frontof the wheel B, and G is the brace connecting the upright E with-thehanger F. These three parts E, F, and G are preferably made in onepiece, and form a firm, rigid, and unyielding frame and support for therider, the saddle standard or rod II being supported on a horizontalforward extension to of the support E, the driving-pedals b andsprocket-wheel 0 being journaled upon a shaft I at or near theintersection of the parts F and G of the rigid frame.

J is an inclined brace, which is pivoted at its lower end to the journalI of the sprocketwheel 0, to the hanger F, or to the brace G, and theupper end of said brace J is pivoted at d to the sleeve D of the uprightsupport or fork O. This construction will permit of the support 0 andits wheel A swinging on the pivot cl. The horizontal extension at of thesupport E, instead of extending from said support to the sleeve D, as isusual, extends only a little beyond the saddle-support II, and at saidpoint 6 one end of a yielding and springing link K is pivoted, the otherend of said link being pivoted at f to the sleeve D. This springing andyielding link K will permit of the support or fork O turning on thepivot 01 with its lower end and the wheel A oscillating or yieldingbackward or toward the back wheel B, as shown in Fig. 3, when anobstruction has arrested the forward portion of the wheel A, and as soonas said obstruction has been passed the springing quality of the link Kwill bring the fork O and the Wheel A back to their original position,as in Fig 1.

The connection of the springing link K with the rigid frame E, F, and Gand with the sleeve 0 should be such that the normal position of theparts should practically make an unyielding and rigid connection betweenthe supports of the two WllGGlS,EUlCl thus give a firm and rigid seatand foot support for the rider, excepting the slight yielding motionderived from the spring-saddle, (not shown,) and also to prevent thesleeve D and that part of the fork 0 above the pivot cl from 5 yieldingbackward, as well as to prevent the wheel A from swinging or yielding ina forward direction.

To prevent the support or fork O and the sleeve D at the connection withthe link K from wabbling or swaying from side to side, and therebyrunning the risk of breaking off said link at its connection with thesleeve D, I extend upward from the brace G two short braces a, withtheir sides in contact with and bearing against the ends of the pivotalconnection of said link and support.

A very simple and efficient spring-link K is shown. in Figs. 1., and 3.It is constructed of an outer piece g, which is tubular at its forwardend,the rear end of which is pivoted at e to the part a of the rearsupport. A rod ft is pivoted at c to the sleeve D, and this red entersinto the tubular portion of g and is adapted to slide back and forthtelescopically therein. A coil-spring t' encircles the rod h in the tubeor sleeve g, with one end of said spring fixed in the sleeve and theother end attached to the rod in such manner that the normal action ofthe spring will hold the rod h with its rear end abutting against theend of the sleeve, thereby making the link K virtually a rigidconnection against the forward swing of the front wheel and the backwardplay of the fork 0 above the pivot d. Any power that will cause thefront wheel to swing backward on its pivot at will withdraw the rod haway from the sleeve 9 and force the spring 1: against its normalaction, and as soon as said power is removed the resilient action of thespring will return the rod h and the support 0, as well as the wheel A,to their normal position.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the parts so c011- structed that the outwardmovement of the rod h in its sleeve g will contract the spring 1'. Therod is provided with a collar 7t at its rear end, which fits snugly inthe sleeve 9, but loosely enough to readily slide back and forth in saidsleeve. A movable sleeve 1 fits into the outer end of the sleeve 1 andis adapted to be secured in the sleeve 9, and through the sleeve Z theouter end of the rod h passes and is adapted to slide. The spring Zencircles the red It between its collar It and the sleeve Z, and theends of said spring are adapted to abut against said collar and sleeve.Any outward pull of the rod 7L will draw its collar 7t and the rear endof the spring 2' forward, and the forwardv end of said spring being heldby the sleeve Z said spring will be tightened. As soon as the power onthe red It is released the spring twill contract and resume its normalposition, carrying back the rod 1' and its connecting parts to theirformer positions, making the link rigid again, as above described. Ifdesired, the collar may be made removable and adjustable upon the rod hby means of a screw m on the end of said rod passing through said collarand held thereon by a nut 91, or said screw may simply engage with afemale screw-thread in said collar. The sleeve I may be attachable tothe sleeve 9 in any convenient or desired manner.

In place of the spring-link K, as above described, a strong uprightbow-spring K may be used, and in such case the lower end of said springshould be secured to the hanger F, and a rigid link L should be pivotedat its rear end to the top of said spring and at its front end to thesupport 0 at c. The connection of the rigid link with the spring Kshould be so made that the resilience of the spring keeping the link inits normal position should also make a rigid connection with the hangerF, for the reasons above described. This may be accomplished in thefollowing manner: The horizontal part a of the hanger which supports thesaddle-stamlard II has a forward projection or nose 1), in which is ahorizontal slot q. A short sleeve 7' is pivoted to the rear end of thelink K and incloses the nose p. Said sleeve also has a horizontal slot8, corresponding with the slot q of the nose. The upper end of thespring K is bifurcated and extends on either side of the sleeve 0, and apin 25 passes through said bifurcations and through the slots q and .9,thus allowing the sleeve r and the rigid link L to give in a forwarddirection. The resilient action of the spring K keeps the pin t againstthe back ends of the slots q and 3, thus constituting a rigid connectionbetween the link L and the hanger F from the backward movement of theupper end of the support 0.

From the above it will be seen. that when an obstruction-such as a stone0, Figs. 1 and 3 be encountered by the front wheel A said wheel and itssupport C will swing back on its pivot (Z and at the same time rise,(see Fig. 3,) so as to pass over said obstruction, and as soon as theobstruction has been passed the spring-link. will return the support 0and wheel A to their normal and rigid positions.

It will be seen that the fulcrumed fork and the yielding connectionsbetween the fork and the frame take up the jars and vibrationsincidental to the use of the machine and thus make the machine moredurable as well as easier for the rider.

I claim 1. In a bicycle, the combination, with the fork, the forwardwheel journaled in bearings in the fork, the rear wheel, and theintermediate crank or pedal. shaft having a sprocketwheel, of aconnecting frame or structure consisting of the rigid frame directlysupporting the seat and having bearings for the rear wheel and for thesprocket-wheel, the link or brace J, connected at one end with the frameportion E, F, and G and at the other end with the fork by a pivot (Z,and an extensible connection between the frame and a point on the forkabove the pivot (Z, said connection being normally contracted andconstituting a rigid support against backward movement of the portion ofthe fork above the pivot (Z, but

adapted to yield to permit forward movement of said portion of the forkand backward movement of the lower portion of the fork and of theforward wheel, said connecting frame or structure affording avertically-nu yielding support for the rider and permitting backward oryielding movement of the front wheel, as set forth.

2. In a bicycle, the combination, with the fork, the front wheeljournaled therein, and the rear wheel, of the connecting-frame composedof the rigid portion E, F, and G, the brace J, connected at one end tosaid rigid portion and at the other end by a pivot 01 with the fork, theyielding telescopic link K, pivoted at one end to the portion E, F, andG and at the other end to the fork, and the parallel braces or snpportsaffixed to the brace J and bearing on opposite ends of the pivot thatconnects the link K with the fork, whereby the pivots connecting thebrace J and link K with the fork are supported, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my I 5 name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 7th day of December, A.D. 1889.

STILLMAN M. FAY.

Witnesses:

HARRY B. SPROUL, C. F. BROWN.

